Reckoning: Chapter 57
by Michelle.Lee.PDX
Summary: Dru is still paralyzed and is trying her best to recover with the support of her friends especially Graves. Jae-Hwa and Dru have a chat that ends awkwardly. Dru gets some visitors that she feared the most. Dru loses someone important to her in this chapter.


Leander was right again. He knew I needed a figurative kick in the ass. Once I saw the past vision about Ash, I got my priorities straight. I couldn't waste anymore time attending a pity party for one. We had things to do and lying in a bed all day, complaining about my sucky life, wasn't going to accomplish anything, other than get some or all of us killed.

Every day I focused on reconnecting with my body. It was a struggle mostly because communication with others was so limited. I was totally dependent on my translators, Graves and Leander, to speak for me since they were the only two that had a telepathic link. Thankfully Nat devised a creative method of communication by establishing a pattern of blinking… one blink for _no_ and two blinks for _yes_. It was basic, but it worked whenever a link wasn't around.

Nat smoothed out the blankets on my bed as she conversed. "Dru, Benjamin told me he's planning on holding trials for your security detail within a month. Are you up for that task?" I blinked twice.

"I heard the sign-ups are next week. Who do you think is gonna put their name in?" She paused after a moment of thought. "Sorry I forgot to ask a yes or no question." She thought for a moment before re-asking her question. "How about Adam? If he signs up, would he be someone you'd consider for the team?" I blinked once.

"Really? And I thought you liked him. He seems well-rounded and polite, for a _djamphire_." Her last comment was meant to sound snarky but I knew she didn't really mean it.

Before Nat could ask another question, a knock at the door sounded. It was a dainty-ish rap which sounded female.

Nat approached the door and waited for the clearance signal from Benjamin. When he approved the visitor through, Nat opened the door to find Jae-Hwa.

"Oh. Hello Ms. Park. We weren't expecting you."

"_Anyoung Haseyo_, Skyrunner. I apologize for the intrusion. I was hoping to speak to Milady if she is accepting visitors tonight. I have something to give her." Jae-Hwa looked concerned and slightly nervous for once. She was hiding an awkward shaped object behind her back.

"Um, let me just check with Milady first. Please wait here." Nat gently closed the door on the _loup-garou_.

"Dru, are you in the mood for talking with Jae-Hwa today? It's okay if you're not. I can ask her to come back another time." I blinked twice, but slowly, signaling an apprehensive approval.

Jae-Hwa entered the suite and sat down in the armchair next to the bed. I sat upright so I could receive my visitor. My condition had improved in the past few days where I was able to move my head and wiggle my fingers and toes.

We sat in silence for a long moment as my visitor held the bow across her lap. Finally she spoke. "This is for you, Milady." She held out the crossbow and a quiver of arrows in my direction.

Nat stepped forward and took them from Jae-Hwa. "On behalf of Milady, thank you, Ms. Park. I'm sure she will be excited to try this out as soon as she is able." Nat set the bow on the table nearest the wall, only a few feet away.

I sat motionless only nodding my head to acknowledge her gesture. _This is so awkward. Would she just apologize so she can leave already?_

Jae-Hwa opened her mouth as if she was going to say something but then closed it awkwardly. She looked toward the window and watched the gentle breeze rustle the leaves of the fully bloomed trees on the horizon.

I looked at Nat with an expression of slight frustration. _Is she going to say something because I sure can't._

We all sat in silence until Jae-Hwa finally blurted out. "I'm sorry for your injury, Milady. It was not my intention to hurt you so badly. Sometimes my Other is more powerful than I realize."

I made an expression of feigned empathy. While I could hear the remorse in Jae-Hwa voice, I wasn't about to forgive her for causing me such pain, especially because I lost the duel, which my ego had a hard time accepting.

"May I be direct with you Milady?" She wasn't really asking for permission. "I also came her today because one of my concerns is regarding Hideki. He has been spending an inordinate amount of time by your side and in such a personal way. I realize you have a history with him. However, things are different now."

I stared at her and was surprised by her bluntness and gall to challenge me in my weakened condition, especially since she was the cause.

Jae-Hwa shifted her position in the armchair with an air of composure. "I won't be made to look like a fool, Milady. If you have Hideki under some kind of hex, I request you to remove it. He has suddenly forgotten his _wulfen_ duties and seems enamored with you. People, our people, are starting to talk. I've tolerated as much as I can of this situation." Nat coughed uncomfortably to break up the tension in the air but it was futile.

"I'm sorry I hurt you but it's time you moved on with your life, after all Reynard has returned. You surely don't need two men chasing after you." Jae-Hwa rose to her feet and stood by my bedside.

I glanced quickly at Nat. Her expression was one of shock and awe. I could tell she was feeling totally out of place. Jae-Hwa was higher up in status than her so she had to be respectful. But Nat was also my best friend so there was no doubt in my mind that her loyalties were being tested.

My aspect flushed through my body, causing my fangs to extend and nails to lengthen. Jae-Hwa ignored my physical reaction. I knew she was keenly aware of my annoyed response to her demands.

_What the hell? I didn't do anything to Graves. It was his choice to be by my side when I got injured. It wasn't my fault that Graves was spending every free moment with me as a result of her own doing. How dare she assume that I used magic on him. He's free to do whatever he wants and I already told him to leave me alone. He's chosen to stay. What more does she want from me?_

Two knocks on the door broke the awkward moment of silence. The door to my room opened and in walked Graves. "Benjamin said that you were visiting, Jae. I thought you ladies wouldn't mind if I…" Graves stopped midway as he saw the looks on everyone's faces. He knew something was up.

_"Graves, I'm glad you're here actually." _I engaged the telepathic link. _"Ms. Park was just asking me to do something. Would you let her know that she's welcome to continue with her questions?"_

"Um, okay." He turned to Jae-Hwa as he took a seat on the window seat bench. "Milady would like you to continue with your conversation. She said that you need her to do something?"

Jae-Hwa's look turned from expressionless into calm irritation. She smirked as she prepared to vocalize her thoughts. "With all due respect, Milady, we do not need to bother Hideki with our nuances. I will call on you another day. Maybe I can teach you how to shoot the crossbow as well." She avoided the invite to discuss openly with Graves in the room.

"Dru?" Graves reached over and squeezed my toes, which were under the covers, to get my attention. "Is there anything else? Jae-Hwa needs to get back and take care of some business."

I looked at my _wulfen_ opponent. She actually looked a little nervous, which made me feel slightly more confident. Even though I couldn't move my body, my eyes signaled defiance. "_Tell her thanks for me. I'd like to learn the bow one day. Also tell her… I'm doing just fine. She doesn't need to worry about me… at all. If she needs to ask me any more questions, she can do that when you're here." I looked to Graves. "So we don't have any misunderstandings."_

Graves gave me a look of confusion. He shrugged it off and repeated what I told him back to Jae-Hwa. She was a smart girl and I knew she picked up the subtext of my message. _If you want me to get off your lawn Jae, don't come in here and make demands. I've already done my part and he's still here. Tell him how you feel yourself and maybe that'll change his behavior._

We parted politely as Graves walked Jae-Hwa back to the door and down to the main hallway. As the door closed behind them, Nat exhaled deeply. "I'd say that was an overdue conversation, Milady. I knew Graves would be startin' trouble hanging around you all the time. He's gotta figure out what he wants to do when you get better." Nat started straightening up the room and putting things in their place.

I couldn't disagree with her. Several times I thought about the fact that Graves shouldn't be sleeping in my room every night. It wasn't smart for someone of his stature to be sharing quarters with a _svetocha_. He was matched to Jae-Hwa after all and how could she not be jealous? I sure would be.

Another knock on the door sounded and a muffled voice followed. "Milady, there is a box that has arrived for you." It was Benjamin.

Nat went to the door and received the package from my guardsman. The container was smallish in size and was tied with a light blue ribbon, which matched my room oddly enough. "It's addressed to you Dru but the sender says it's from "An admirer". Do you want me to open it?" I blinked twice.

Nat set the box down on the coffee table and untied the ribbon. As she opened up the lid, I began to smell something foul.

"Ugh, what's in here?" Nat slowly lifted the lid of the box. A wretched odor released into the room. Nat nearly screamed as she looked into the container. I couldn't see from where I sat but I was dying with anticipation to know. Nat dropped the box on the floor and it fell flat on the carpet. She scurried to grab her push dagger, which was always on her belt, as something small and decrepit slowly climbed out of the box. A finger lifted over the edge. Then several more fingers moved in coordination as I realized what it was. Someone sent me the left hand of a revenant, a zombie.

With _wulfen_ speed, Nat stabbed the hand where it lay on the floor. We both looked at the appendage, impaled by the knife to the blue carpet in the middle of my suite. It was an odd sight to see.

"What the hell?! Where did this come from? Is this some sick joke from Leander?" Nat's voice raised a few octaves as she tried to make sense of the gift I received. She ran to the door and called for backup. Benjamin and Christophe came running into the suite.

Christophe said nothing but his expression was clearly one of anger. "Lena." He seemed pretty certain he knew it came from his own sister.

Benjamin remained cool as ever as he watched the hand with curiosity while kneeled on the floor. "Are you sure it's from her, Reynard?"

Christophe looked at the _djamphire_ guard. "I have no doubt. This is her style. I would not be surprised if she programmed it to kill Milady. Magdalena's powers are deep. This is child's play."

Graves entered the suite and looked shocked to see the door open and several people standing around. "What the hell is going on in here? Is Milady alright?"

"_I'm fine, Graves. Join the party. We're just admiring the gift that Lena sent me today. Take a look." _Graves walked to the center of the room and laid eyes on what we already knew.

"That's fucking sick." His expression was one of disgust but I detected a slight bit of awe in his voice.

"How did this get into the room?" Christophe demanded an answer.

"It appeared in the mail room this evening. No one saw how though." Benjamin was cool and factual in his response.

"This is not an acceptable situation. Nothing comes into the _schola_ without first being tracked to its origin. And nothing gets to Dru's quarters without first passing an inspection. Benjamin, may I have a word with you?"

The tension raised in the room as I felt a tongue lashing on the way for poor Benjamin. He was over-taxed with too many things to do. He and August were in preparation for my guardsmen try-outs in addition to overseeing the _wulfen _entourage's security detail and my own safety. I had no doubt it was too much for the small team.

Graves came over and lightly touched the back of his hand to my cheek. "Dru, I'm sorry I wasn't here when this happened. I was meeting with my team upstairs. Jae-Hwa seemed a little off today so I stayed to talk. I think it was nice of her to drop by to check in on you."

I debated whether to be totally honest with him about what she talked about. _Was it really my place to tell him that Jae-Hwa is feeling insecure and jealous that he's in love with me? Probably not. If she wants him, she should say something._

_"Graves, don't beat yourself up. You can't be here all the time especially with your obligations as a wulfen. I have others to watch over me too. I survived for the past few years without you, haven't I?" _I paused as I thought for a moment._ "Well, except for that time you killed the hell hound before it ate me. I needed you then. But otherwise I lived."_

Graves smirked at my attempt at humor in the moment. "Just barely, _svetocha_."

Nat cleared her throat as she tried to interrupt our nearly silent conversation. "Sorry guys but how are we supposed to get this thing off the floor safely and in the cleanest way? I don't want it decomposing right here on the rug. It'll stain forever if that happens."

_My God… a stain on the carpet._ I flashed back to the memory of shooting zombie Dad when we lived in the Dakotas. As soon as I maimed the heart, his body disintegrated into the living room carpet leaving a stain that I never had a chance to clean up.

I was shaken back to the present when Christophe re-entered the room with Benjamin in tow. "Milady, I apologize for the breach in security today. It shouldn't happen again in this manner. We'll take care of the revenant and leave you so you can rest. Is there anything you need at this time?" He looked into my eyes with such desire to connect again.

_"Graves, tell him… I don't need anything from him at this time."_ I averted my eyes and avoided looking at the _djamphire_. I knew I was hurting him.

"Will do." Graves smoothly relayed my message.

After the zombie mess was cleaned up and all was quiet again, Graves stayed in the room and sat on the sofa reading as I fell asleep.

I awoke in the darkness to the sound of scraping. It was oddly quiet in the schola, which made me feel uneasy. There was always some noise in the dorms or above my floor but at the moment, it was silent, except for that noise.

I heard it again and then a strange thudding sound. It was like there was something crawling around on the floor of my room. "_Graves, is that you?"_

But there was no response back. I heard the odd scraping again but this time it came from under my bed. The four poster frame stood a few feet off the floor so anything down there would have to know how to climb. "_Please, somebody. Can anyone hear me?"_

My heart beat faster with the scratching and thudding noise getting closer. I looked down at my body. My hands were tucked under the covers but I could see them wiggling beneath the blankets. I still had no control over my legs. I turned my head to the right and left to view the room. I guessed it was about 11 PM because I could see the moon outside my window. Nat would be in classes at this time and Graves should be coming in to check on me soon. Where was Benjamin when I needed him?

I peered in the darkness at the edge of my bed. I barely saw something move over the side. I wasn't sure but it looked like… fingers. _Oh my God._ My aspect flushed and my night vision engaged. The yellowish view gave me a clear perspective. I did see fingers, then finally a hand. It was another hand of a zombie and it was coming my direction, over the edge of my mattress and onto my bed.

_"Graves! Where the fuck are you! Get your wulf-y ass in her right now! _Just how far away my telepathy powers worked I wasn't sure but I had no other way of communicating with anyone except with Leander and I hadn't seen him in days. He said he'd be in and out of the schola so I didn't know if he was even in the building.

_Calm down, Dru girl._ Dad's voice of reason echoed in my head. _What sorcery powers can you use to protect yourself from the zombie? _I thought rapidly as I considered what I knew. The only thing I could think of was mind control. I'd practiced on free revenants but never before on any that may be under someone else's control. _Give a try girl. _I focused my energy on the hand as it crept nearer. It was crawling along the blanket and was almost past my knee. _But what's the Sanscrit word for stop? Think think. I learned it once. A-ba… no that's not it…_

The hand was crawling upwards to my thigh. I could smell the rotting flesh on it. The odor made me want to gag. _Concentrate, Dru! "A-la..."_

The hand moved onto my stomach. Even though I couldn't feel all of my body parts yet, I felt the weight of the bony appendage. I stared at it as it drew nearer. Its skin was hanging off the middle and pointer finger. It looked as if it had been through a swamp based on its color and skin tone. Interestingly it wore a ring on the fourth finger. I had no time to decipher what kind of jewelry._ The word, Dru! "A-la-m! ALAM! I command you to stop."_

The hand paused as if I was going to obey. Then it twitched and slowly started moving up my body again. "_Shit! ALAM!"_

The hand walked slowly across my chest as I inhaled and exhaled rapidly. I was terrified of what I would do to me if I didn't get control of the thing.

I thought about the freezing hex and concentrated every last bit of my energy on it. However before I could stop the hand, it flew at my face, clamping across my mouth and nose, which made a repulsive sound just like Jello dropping on linoleum. The smell was disgustingly overpowering. I dry heaved at the same time that I struggled to find air. The dead and dirty hand gripped across my cheeks and was slowly suffocating me. I shook my head violently from right to left but the hand remained where it landed.

_Oh my God! Is this how it's going to be for me? This has got to be the most humiliating way to go... suffocated by a zombie's dismembered hand while laying here, paralyzed and helpless._

I closed my eyes and struggled to find oxygen as my intake was being shut off by the ever tightening hand. I didn't know what to do. _I am going to die._

Suddenly the sound of magical apparition echoed in the room. I knew someone familiar finally answered my plea for help. I could see his long thin arms and colorful robe in the periphery of my vision. It was Leander. "_Get this thing off of me, please_!" I begged for his help.

Before he had a chance to respond, I heard a snickering noise nearby. I caught a glimpse of a hooded figure in dark ragged clothing standing at the foot of my bed. I knew it was her… my nemesis, Lena. Her plastic-y blue eyes peered at me as her long face pulled into a crooked smile. She was laughing at me and my pathetic predicament.

Before I knew what happened, flashes of light and flying hexes blinded my already obstructed vision. A magical battle of sorcerers was at hand. Leander cast a binding spell in Lena's direction but she quickly deflected his attack. She disapparited and re-appeared behind him, grabbing him by the throat and extending her claws. Before she could get a firm grip, Leander released a powerful maiming spell that hit Lena in the stomach. She fell back, clutching her abdomen in pain.

Lena half-kneeled as she spoke in a labored manner._ "You have improved, Maharaja. But I will always be more skilled than you. Let us not forget I was once your father's student. He thought he was the one in control by tutoring and grooming me when I became Dark. He was such a simpleton by trying to use me to get back at the Order." _Lena slowly stood on her feet while Leander moved cautiously never letting her out of his clear sight._ "What a fool! Your father believed I was so thankful for his training and would be loyal to him and your kind because of it. His trust in me was his fatal mistake."_

Leander was simmering with rage but didn't let it show._ "You murdered my father without a thought for the gift he gave you. He was wrong to teach you sorcery but he did not have to die the way he did. Why, svetocha?"_

Lena smiled an evil grin._ "Because… I could. I had no more use for him. He served his purpose and I was bored." _She was infuriatingly nonchalant about such a grievous act. I wanted to strike out at her, but I couldn't. I felt so pathetic.

Leander yelled out in a warrior cry and threw a maiming charm at Lena with all his might. The _svetocha_ crouched, then stood up to absorb the magical blow. Instead of falling to the ground as she did earlier, her body swallowed the energy and held it within. Her blue eyes widened and a scream only a _svetocha_ could make, released from her throat. The energy of Leander's hex boomeranged off Lena and hit my teacher directly in his chest, holding him in a moment of pure pain and shock. His body fell backwards and collapsed on the the floor.

At that moment I knew the duel was over. _"Nooo! Leander! Please don't be dead. Get up! You are too powerful for this shit. Get up! Get up… please." _There was no response. I was unable to help or see him.

I was totally at Lena's mercy. Her voice came to me telepathically… she was in my head now. "_Do not fear me, svetocha. I am here to bring you relief from this miserable life you suffer through. I am your _zbawca_, your rescuer." _She paused and confidently took a seat on the mattress as she continued her tirade. "_You have impressed me with your powers. I admire that you are so common, so ordinary, and yet you have developed such talents in a short amount of time. I can see why _braciszek_ is so enamored with you. He is such a fool for love… his never-ending belief in the emotion is a joke." _I was amazed at her psychopathic ability to murder someone and change the subject of conversation so randomly.

She was callous and heartless. _Wait, she has a heart… the only way I can kill her is to stab her heart. But how?_

Lena played with her tattered robes as it they were fine garments. She lifted each piece of fabric and inspected the fibers with such care. I was barely breathing as I watched her from underneath the cold dead hand, still latched across my face._ "Fuck you and your superiority complex. You're just as common as me. Birth has nothing to do with being valuable. Why don't you know that? Oh yeah, you've been on ice for a while and missed the 20th century. Most of us modern folks don't give a care about titles._" I tried to annoy her as much as possible.

Lena paused and looked enraged as if she was going to attack me, but then she stopped and reconsidered. She looked around the room and saw something that caught her attention… Nat's dangly gold earrings. She walked over to my dresser and picked them up. _"These are not yours are they, Dru? Much to fancy for the likes of your taste. How is your canine friend, Skyrunner? She is precious, is she not? I adore a good BFF." _She attempted to threaten me with the visual I had of Nat's death, the one where Lena was drinking from the wulfen bride's neck as blood spilled onto the white dress.

Outside the window I heard yelling and screaming from _wulfen _and_ djamphire_. I didn't have a clear view but I knew there was action out on the grounds. Shots of gunfire echoed in the darkness. _Where is everyone when I need them?_

Lena's voice came across as sickening sweet. _"I brought a few friends with me again to keep your protectors busy. They can be so easy to distract, can they not?"_

My mind raced with the thoughts of the creatures Lena sent in the past… zombies, burning dogs, broken _wulves_ and undead fairies. Any number of them would keep our forces in defensive mode. I couldn't rely on anyone to come to my rescue. It was up to me to be my own knight in shining armor.

_"Enough pleasantries between us. It is time to feed. Your powers shall be mine and I will free my brother from his virus which he calls love. He will see that there is no use resisting me anymore once you are gone and…"_ But Lena didn't get a chance to finish her sentence.

She looked at me from across the bed and realized what happened. I sat upright holding an empty crossbow, the same one that Jae-Hwa gave me. An arrow was skewered through her chest. The tip protruded out of her, just above the area of her heart. Dark thick blood was pouring from the wound.

_"Sucks to be you right now, Milady." _I sat and stared confidently at Lena.

As if I willed myself to take control, in one instant I had regained all of my strength and speed back. Even though my recovery was delayed, I made up for it within a blink of an eye. With _svetocha_ speed, I loaded the bow and released my arrow towards the invader. I threw the zombie hand across the room so hard it exploded into chunks.

An inhuman scream unleashed from Lena's fanged mouth. She was infuriated as she stared at the bloody arrow through her chest. I hoped to kill her by piercing her heart, but given she was still standing, I must've missed by an inch.

At that moment, the door of my room was thrown open. A small army of _wulfen _and_ djamphire_ warriors entered the room with guns drawn. Graves and Christophe were both armed and pointing their glocks at Lena. The wounded _svetocha_ looked at her brother in an adoring way. "Hello, _braciszek_." Her thin lips curled into a freakish grin which told me she was pleased to know where to find Christophe. In an instant, Lena disappariated from the room as her cold blue eyes were the last to leave. It reminded me of Leander's first lesson with me where his eyes were the first things I saw when I entered the sorcery classroom.

"Shit! Leander, where are you?" I just realized my voice was back.

I crawled off the bed and as my feet hit the floor, I crumpled and fell to the ground. Apparently my physical strength was not all there just yet. I figured it would take some time before I fully regained everything back. Graves ran to my side and without a thought, swept me up in his arms and carried me over to Leander's body. Christophe was already kneeling next to his old comrade and was attempting to determine his status.

I tried the telepathic link. "_Leander, can you hear me? It's me, your rajkumari, Dru. Please don't be gone_." A tear rolled down my cheek as I touched his hand._ "There's still so much I need to learn from you."_

_"Rajkumari…" _His inside voice spoke to me as his eyes remained closed. I looked at Christophe first_. _"Thank God. He's still with us." Christophe gave a look of relief but remained sullen and serious. I could tell he knew Leander's injury was fatal. He knew his sister's powers like the back of his hand. He'd never underestimate her will and pleasure to kill as many others as she could. She had no conscience or soul as far as he knew. The blood dark stole those elements away from his _siostra_ a century ago.

_"I do not have much time left, Miss. I have to tell you... your mother… she was not alone when the Kourio found her. She had a sister, a protector who kept her safe. She is alive still. I know because I cast the spell that erased her from memory."_

_What? Leander did this to everyone? But why? _I was baffled and angry hearing him admit to the fact that he had been hiding my family from me.

_Leander's voice grew slower and weaker. "You read... an object… for you, Miss. I'm sorry I..." _Leander's voice trailed off. The breath left his body as his hand released from mine.

**Readers: Will Dru forgive Christophe and allow him back in now that she knows he didn't lie to her? Will Jae-Hwa tell Graves how she feels and will he respond in kind? What will Dru do now that her sorcery mentor is gone? What will Leander's object reveal to Dru about her aunt? See you next week.**


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